The present invention relates to, and has primary utility in, the field of commercial and domestic electrical wiring of structures. It is well-known that in both commercial and residential structures, electrical wiring for such things as outlets and switches, to name but a few, power lines are threaded through conduit into electrical housings or junction boxes which may contain any number of switches, breakers, electrical outlets or the like. The conduit through which the power lines are strung, in many cases is flexible, and may or may not be metallic, and may or may not be electrically conductive, depending upon the particular usage. In all cases, however, some means is required for securing the conduit to the junction box in order to prevent its being pulled away, the consequence of which would be to expose power lines contained in the conduit.
Several coupling devices are available to electricians to secure conduit to a junction box, typically through a knock-out, or aperture in the junction box. Such couplings typically employ some means of gripping the conduit and include an opening to permit the leads contained in the conduit to be threaded through the coupling device into the junction box. The coupler also includes some means for securing it to the junction box, typically in water-tight relation, and the more common method used for this purpose is to provide a threaded nipple on the connector which is intended to pass through the knock-out in the junction box and receive a lock nut or the like to secure it to the wall thereof. More sophisticated couplings, such as that depicted in Law Pat. No. 4,468,535, are highly specialized in that they are intended for use under circumstances in which the conduit itself becomes an electrical ground and electrical continuity is required between the junction box and the conduit.
Electrical contractors are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with high labor costs, which is a dominant factor in contracting for and performing electrical wiring services. Thus, there is a market for any device which results in labor-savings, no matter how seemingly insignificant they might be on a single-use basis. The principle objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-faceted coupler capable, not only of saving time and its use, but further providing, in a single unit, a multi-purpose device capable of two distinct fastening modes, thereby providing, in a single unit, the function of at least two separate coupling devices which the contractor might otherwise have to inventory. Another objective, of course, is to provide a single coupler which is capable of meeting several needs, thereby minimizing the amount of inventory a contractor may be required to carry.